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economical with the truth

Not telling the whole truth, especially in order to present a false image of a situation; untruthful; lying. Often used with sarcasm or satire.

Etymology:

  • Believed to be from a quotation by the British-Irish statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke : “Falsehood and delusion are allowed in no case whatever: But, as in the exercise of all the virtues, there is an œconomy of truth. It is a sort of temperance, by which a man speaks truth with measure that he may speak it the longer.”
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“

I would be being economical with the truth if I were to tell you that I was enjoying myself.

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Submitted on September 01, 2009

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to economical with the truth

nugget of truthto tell you the truthit's the truth, Ruthtell you the truthkernel of truthtell the truththere's a grain of truth in every jokenugget of truthGod's honest truthtenuous relationship with the truthmoment of truthto tell the truthstretch the truthbend the truth

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    "economical with the truth." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/economical-with-the-truth_3447>.

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